Help with fire pit on top of pavers

[thinkxingu]

Hi All,
Can't find a clear answer, so I thought I'd ask here: we are about to start our first summer owning a lakeside camp, and one of our first changes will be to move the fire pit. The one there is a two-level ring of field stone with what looks like stone dust or other heavily compressed substance in the middle. We're planning on just moving the ring of rocks to another place but are concerned the heat from the fire will crack the pavers below. What is an inexpensive way to insulate the pavers below from the fire heat?

Any other (low cost) suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[fossil]

Ashes.

 

[Warm_in_NH]

Back when I had a chiminea it recommended using sand to insulate the bottom from the heat.

 

[KB007]

Mu fire pit sits on top of a 3 X 3 group of 18" pavers with a bunch of rocks around the 4 sides. I burn some pretty intense fires given the size and some of the stuff I've gotten rid of (old decks etc). Clean out the ash in the spring right down to the pavers, never seen one crack yet. I left one squre in the middle with no paver.

Even if they did crack. so what? Won't they be sitting on the dirt below?

 

[DevilsBrew]

I was going to suggest sand. It also makes leveling a fire pit area very easy to manage.

 

[thinkxingu]

"Even if they did crack. so what? Won't they be sitting on the dirt below?"
Yeah, but I don't want to have to replace anything if I decide to move the pit again- especially for a couple dollars and minutes' work.
OK, so I'll rearrange the rocks and put down a couple inches of sand.

Thanks!

 

[Ashful]

Why would you put pavers in a fire pit? I've owned / built several, all directly on dirt. No need for any other "floor."

 

[thinkxingu]

The patio is already built and I've got a nice set of stones that I can build a ring with.

 

[semipro]

Piece of cement board like Durock?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Dirt, sand, ashes, all possible. If you're going to have great epic 12 hour fires with beer and friends, that heat could soak in pretty good. Any chance you could pull out the pavers and set them aside? If not, you might think about a thick layer of something insulating. (I would make up a mix of clay, sand, and lots of sawdust... but then I have extra clay)

 

[yooperdave]

I think the best solution is to remove the pavers from wherever you place the pit. Ring the new location with your rocks. When you want to move it again, level out the remaining hole and reinstall the pavers?

 

[thinkxingu]

Dirt, sand, ashes, all possible. If you're going to have great epic 12 hour fires with beer and friends, that heat could soak in pretty good. Any chance you could pull out the pavers and set them aside? If not, you might think about a thick layer of something insulating.

I was thinking about pulling the pavers, but I'm a bit nervous that the others will shift and this patio is nice and tight.
I think I'll tamp down a nice layer of sand as suggested above--4" or so--and deal with any issues that might arise. I'm thinking that'll be fine for what we'll be doing, and I also think we'll probably never move it once its in place. As a last resort, if damage did occur and we moved it, I could always match pavers up as best as possible.

Thanks, all!

 

[thinkxingu]

OK, so good and bad came of this: the good is that I moved the fire pit and everything looks and fits perfectly, but the area the pit was above didn't have pavers. I should have pulled out the ones below where we moved the pit to, but didn't want to loosen up the patio (though it seems like that's not too much of an issue, seeing as the other ones were missing to begin with). In any case, short of pulling up the (now) moved fire pit and pulling out the number needed to fill the other hole, and short of just buying replacement pavers (age might make that an impossibility), what can I do to cover the hole?!

Thanks, all.

 

[Ashful]

I'd pull the necessary pavers from under the new pit. Fill the gap under the fire pit with new pavers of the same size, to keep anything from shifting / loosening up, color not being important there.

 

[thinkxingu]

To complete this thread: I found replacement pavers in the back of a warehouse near the camp and filled the spot- if you look close, you can tell the difference, but there will be a table over it and with some weathering should fit perfectly. I bought about a dozen extras, just in case. Fire pit looks great and is working out perfectly.

Thanks, all!